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Home > Community > Community rights > Community Right to Challenge > How the Right to Challenge Works

How the Right to Challenge Works

The following groups, also known as 'relevant bodies', are all eligible to express an interest in bidding to run a particular district council service:

  • a voluntary or community body
  • a body of persons or a trust which is established for charitable purposes only
  • a parish council
  • two or more employees of the relevant authority
  • any other person or body specified by the Secretary of State by regulations

These bodies can work in conjunction with a private sector organisation.

If one of the above named groups have an idea about how a service could be better run or are interested in running a service, an informal discussion on possible alternative approaches that are available to the Community Right to Challenge is recommended to ensure any suggestions put forward have the potential to be a success.

To request an informal discussion please email our Communities team.

After these discussions, those wishing to make a formal expression of interest need to complete an expression of interest form:

  • Online expression of interest form

Email and printable versions of the form are also available to download, complete and return:

  • Printable expression of interest form - Microsoft Word format
  • Printable expression of interest form - Adobe PDF format

Completed forms can be submitted by email to our Communities team.

A decision on your expression of interest will be based upon the information that we ask for in this form and in accordance with the provisions of the Localism Act 2011.

We will acknowledge receipt, and within 30 days we will let you know the date by which you will receive a decision on your application. Our decision will be to reject, to ask you to modify, or to accept your expression.

If we accept your expression, then we will invite your organisation to compete in an open procurement exercise.

  • Department of Communities and Local Government: Statutory guidance on Community Right to Challenge
  • Department of Communities and Local Government: Community Right to Challenge

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  • How the Right to Challenge Works
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